by Richard Partridge and Michael Oliver
Published by Constable (1998) price £ 25.00 ISBN 0-09-477620-2 284 pages, hardback.

Readers will note the similarity of one of the author's names with that of the editor of this magazine, a connection not entirely coincidental

There seems to be a trend in the book publishing world at the moment (and a healthy one at that, in my opinion) to examine parts of a conflict in detail, rather than trying to cover the whole of a war in one volume and repeat what has been published before. The History of the Peninsular War by Oman is one series that springs to mind (although this series was first published some years ago), while the books being produced by Chatham Publishing on the naval war, looking at each campaign in detail, are a superb example of describing and analysing sections of the broader conflict in a refreshingly new manner. Battle Studies in the Peninsula follows this trend, and will hopefully be the start of a series that examines the conflict in detail.

This book looks at the Peninsular War, covering the period from May 1808 and the early actions between the Spanish and French armies, to January 1809 and the retreat to Corunna with the subsequent battle there. The authors examine the individual actions of this period in some detail, providing comprehensive orders-of -battle for each one. The book begins with a brief intro duction to the Peninsular conflict, including a very general description of the armies (French, Spanish, Portuguese and British) and the tactics employed.

The first battle to be discussed is that of Medina del Rioseco on 14 July 1808 between the Spanish Army under Cuesta and a French force under BessiEres. The authors give a very detailed description of the strategic considerations, the geography (the book contains many maps throughout that assist in the understanding of the battles described) and the ordersof -battle. In detailing the OOBs, there is a discussion of the value of such works as Oman in deducing the correct strength of the opposing forces, and where the sources conflict, there is a detailed analysis and reasoned assessment of the correct facts. This analysis of the sources available is one of the strengths of this book, and an interesting read in its own right.

To add some colour to the narrative of the action, there are short biographies of the Generals commanding the opposing forces; the battle within the context of the campaign; and the deployment of the armies. Again, the authors debate the different sources available for the deployment of the troops and give a reasoned analysis for the correct dispositions, using not only sources such as Oman but also Spanish documents (such as Researching and Dragona - a Spanish research publication). Each stage of the action is described, with complimentary maps, followed by some Wargaming notes that include rules and umpiring, terrain and table, and objectives and victory. Wargamers will find this section very useful, coming as it does from authors who have play-tested the actions they describe.

The Battles of Bailen (19 July 1808) and Roliea (17 August 1808) are given the same treatment. Where the information does not exist as to the exact composition of a unit, the authors have the courage to admit this. In addition, they recommend suitable reading for more information on the battles. The biographies of the opposing generals make for interesting reading, aside from the more famous commanders such as Wellesley. The maps illustrating the movement of the opposing forces at each stage of the action, in relation to the topography (descriptions of the terrain and its effect on troop movement is included), complement the text very well, and thus all the information is available to recreate the action on the tabletop. Having said that, do not think that this is simply a book for wargamers. Historians who want a clear and detailed account of these actions (especially those that did not involve the British) will find it very useful.

The Battles of Vimeiro (21 August 1808), Tudela (23 November 1808) and La Corunna (16 January 1809) are all given the same treatment. For the Spanish forces at Tudela, for example, the detailed order-of-battle discusses the varying sources available and gives the reasons why certain figures for troop strengths have been chosen. La Corunna is advocated as a minicampaign for a Wargames club, and to aid this, the text includes a summary of the events leading up to that battle to help the game flow along in an interesting and enjoyable manner. The work includes an extensive bibliography.

Baffle Studies in the Peninsula is a highly detailed work looking at the first year of that conflict. In confining themselves to just one year, the authors have been able to produce a valuable contribution to the study of this campaign. If each year of the Iberian conflict is examined in this way, then ultimately we will have a series that will complement the likes of Oman and Napier, providing detailed accounts of each battle for historians and wargamers alike.

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Battle Studies in the Peninsula: May 1808 - January 1809
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